Here on my blog, I strive to share simple, everyday tips and tricks that can help make life a little bit easier. But sometimes, the tips that I want to share aren’t something I can write a whole blog post about. And since I simply cannot waste a good idea, I tuck them away to use at a later date. Today I’ll be sharing some of those tips and tricks, in the seventh edition of my ongoing series I like to call “Why Didn’t I Think Of That?”
Note: Many of the tips I share on the blog come straight from your comments. If you have a great idea you’d like to share, leave it in the comments, and your idea could be featured in the next “Why Didn’t I Think of That?” post!
Be sure to scroll down to see some of these brilliant hacks in action on video!
Toilet Brush Drip-Dry
If you put your wet toilet brush back right after using it, it probably isn’t getting the chance to dry properly. A wet toilet brush can breed mildew, bacteria, and all sorts of yucky stuff, so it’s important to let the brush dry out of bit before placing it back in the holder!
A reader of mine with 20 years of experience cleaning bathrooms once shared a brilliant tip for drying your toilet brush. She said that after she scrubs the toilet, she props the brush between the toilet and the toilet seat to let it dry. The brush gets plenty of air circulation, and any water drips just drop right into the toilet bowl. So smart! You can find more brilliant bathroom cleaning tips at the link below.
Related: 5 Easy Steps That Will Get Your Bathroom Clean in Minutes
Tongs Trick
Large or thick cuts of meat can be tricky to sear or grill properly, especially if you’re trying to cook them on all sides. The flat sides are easy, but what about the sides with less surface area?
There’s an easy solution – just grab a pair of locking tongs! Clamp the tongs onto the meat near the edge you want to cook, then lock them in place. Put the meat down on your cooking surface, and the tongs will help keep the meat stable while it cooks.
VIDEO: To Easily Sear All Sides of a Chicken Breast
Taco Assembly
If you’ve ever felt like you could use an extra pair of hands when you’re putting tacos together, this tip for you. You can use an inverted muffin pan when assembling tacos to help keep things in place!
Nail Polish Spill Saver
I always thought that nail polish spills were a kiss of death for whatever was spilled on. But I recently learned that sugar can save the day in the event of spilled polish! If applied to a nail polish spill quickly enough, the sugar and nail polish will clump together, making it easy to sweep or wipe away. So next time you paint your fingernails or toenails, consider keeping a dish of sugar somewhere close by! :-)
VIDEO: Nail Polish Emergency Fix!
Bandaid Fix
It can be tricky at best to get a bandaid to conform to the shape of your finger. Instead of dealing with an awkward fit, just grab a pair of scissors! Making a few small cuts along the edges of the adhesive part of the bandaid. When you apply it, those cuts will make it much easier to get the right fit on your finger!
VIDEO: A Better-Fitting Bandaid Hack
Bobby Pin Keeper
I don’t even have to ask if anyone else finds it impossible to keep track of bobby pins, because it’s a UNIVERSAL problem! (Okay, maybe people with short hair don’t have bobby pin problems, but the rest of us sure do.) But I recently came across a simple idea for keeping track of your bobby pins!
More Ideas You'll Love
Place a piece of magnetic tape inside one of your bathroom drawers, then stick your bobby pins to it. Your bobby pins will always be stay right where you left them!
Cherry Pitter
You don’t need a special tool to pit cherries if you have a small kitchen funnel! Just turn your funnel upside-down, then press the cherry against the narrow opening to pop the pit out. Easy!
No Fork, No Problem
So you’ve just gone through a drive-thru for lunch when it hits you – they didn’t give you a fork! If you have a straw, you’re in luck. Just bend the straw in half and use it like a pair of chopsticks!
Bread & Butter (& Corn)
Corn on the cob is one of summer’s simplest pleasures, but buttering it is always a tricky affair! You can make it easy by enlisting the help of a piece of bread.
Generously butter the piece of bread, then wrap it around your piece of corn. Give it a few twists to spread the butter onto the corn, and you’re done! Then you can either pass the bread on for someone else to use, or you can enjoy it as a side to your meal. For more corn on the cob tips and tricks, check out the link below!
Related: 10 Brilliant Hacks for Easy and Delicious Corn on the Cob
Self-Watering Wonder
Going on a vacation? Fill a water bottle and push it into the ground near your plant, upside-down. The water the will keep the plant moist for days!
VIDEO: Keep Your Plants Moist for Days!
The “Why Didn’t I Think Of That?” Series
- For even more simple tips and tricks that will make your life easier, check out the other installments in this series, including ones you may have missed!
- Explore the “Why Didn’t I Think Of That?” series archive.
NEW! Can you guess the 5-letter word related to today’s post?
More Ideas You'll Love
I just love the bobby pin holder and the taco thing !!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Me too Chris! I’m OCD about making tacos all pretty and full…then crumble into a million pieces at first bite! LOL I love that part too!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Another use for a brand new toilet brush is for cleaning the scum that gets on the bird bath every day. I use the brush on the bird bath and then pour in the fresh water.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I bought a new round toilet brush to use to clean out my garbage disposal. It gets yucky in there and this claims it very well.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.No!…buy the foam cleanser at a hardware store or ice in the disposal with baking soda and vinegar…then run disposer. Pulling a bowl cleaner out of a disposal would fling germs everywhere. Then how to clean/store brush?
I love the awesome tips all at once! Some were new to me….about Joanna Gaines a little research will tell that it’s a money making scam!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Please explain the water bottle self watering tip .
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Gravity and the moisture level of the soil. If the ground is already damp the water won’t be pulled from the bottle until it’s needed.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’m somewhat skeptical about this one as I think capillary action from moist soil will draw all the water from the bottle. Time for an experiment :)
You can also use glass bottles. Water bottles degrade pretty fast in the sun. In a nut shell, you can use whatever you have on hand.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I do this BUT I freeze the water in the bottle that way it is a much slower process
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Interesting!! I’ll try this.
I have tried this and it works now and then, but mostly I end up with dirt in the neck of the bottle.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.had a problem with my glass waterer getting clogged with soil , so I had my husband cut a piece of pvc pipe about 6 inches long which I then put into the pot leaving about 2 to 3 inches above soil to insert my glass waterer. Now, I can water my plant without getting the glass neck clogged…………………….
Is there a way to get rid milk stains in baby clothes? Baby sucks on the fabric and it’s really orange from breast milk and saliva mixing together. Oxyclean didn’t work.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Try covering the stain with blue Dawn. Let it sit awhile (especially if it’s set in). Launder as usual. I’ve had success with Dawn removing all kinds of stains even after going through the dryer. You can also make a mixture of vinegar and Dawn in a spray bottle then soak the fabric with the spray. I’ve heard others say it doesn’t have to be “blue” Dawn…or even Dawn detergent but that’s always worked for me.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I have blue Dawn! Will give it a try.
Hydrgen peroxide gets out nearly everything that comes from inside the human body!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks – have that too!
Try Fels Naptha soap. (Kroger carries it. It is usually on the top shelf near the laundry supplies. It is a bar of soap) I keep mine in a plastic container along with a tooth brush. Wet the soap and brush and make the brush soapy. Scrub the spot with the tooth brush and wash as usual. You can’t use too much of this product, so make sure it is thoroughly covered. I have even had luck removing old stains that have been washed and dried. Sometimes it make take a second treatment.p
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I love Fels Naptha or Zote or even homemade lye soap for so many things. These soaps are THE best degreaser. Well, that and vinegar and Original blue dawn mixed in equal parts. 1 cup of vinegar to 1 cup of Dawn. I use it in every room in my house. Spray it on, let it sit up to 30 minutes, us a scrub cloth, (not steel wool or anything like that), and rinse.
I may have this left over from Girl Scout camping (to soap outside the pots for easier clean up).
I bought Fels Naptha online at Walmart.com cheap! I keep it and a tooth brush with a spray bottle of water near the washer and dryer to use if I find a stain on anything when it goes into the washer or comes out of the dryer. It works great on old oil stains that nothing else will work on.
Hydrogen peroxide!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I always used a bar of Lava soap and my baby clothes always came clean.
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